Can perforator and spout former



April 3, 1962 E. P. HANSEN ETAL 3,027,634

CAN PERFGRATOR AND SPOUT FORMER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 2, 1958INVENTORS v, M mum m m Wm H fl m mu 5 &

Y B M April 3, 1962 E. P. HANSEN ETAL 3,027,634

CAN PERFORATOR AND SPOUT FORMER Filed Dec. 2, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEIXT RfJ EDumRD P HHNSEN W\L.LtHM H. VOLKMPN United States 3,ii27,534Patented Apr. 3, 1962 3,027,634 CAN PERFORATOR AND SPOUT FORD ER EdwardP. Hansen, 2311 W. Capitol Drive, and William H. Vollrrnan, 5526 W.Hopkins Sh, both of Milwaukee, Wis.

Filed Dec. 2, 1958, Ser. No. 777,755 1 Claim. (Cl. ISO-6.3)

This invention relates primarily to can perforators of the typeparticularly adapted for perforating a metal container andsimultaneously forming a pour lip thereon whereby liquid within thecontainer can be readily drained.

A general object of the invention is to provide an improved canperforator.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved can perforatorparticularly adaptable to the opening of cans having a flat top surfacesuch as are found in metal condensed milk containers.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved can perforatorwhereby the piercing member is designed to perforate a can top and bendthe resulting metal tongue in a manner to flatten the same against theinterior wall of the can and to deform the rim of the can to create apour lip.

According to this invention, an improved can perforator is providedwhich is particularly adaptable for perforating the top of flat facedcans and provide a pair of pierced openings therein; one of saidopenings being sufficiently large to permit ready pouring of liquid fromthe can, and the other opening serving to provide a vent in the can. Thecan perforator is comprised of two main members which are hingedlysecured together to provide a unitary operating mechanism. The lowermember is provided with a hook to engage the sidewall of the candirectly beneath the top rim thereof. The other or upper member isprovided with a pour opening spear and a vent opening spear. A slightdownward pressure on the upper member will serve to first bring the pouropening spear into engagement with the top surface of the can andeffectively pierce the metal. Continued pressure on the upper memberwill serve to fold the metal from the pour opening downwardly andrearwardly until such metal meets with the side wall of the can. Thespear is shaped to deform the peripheral rim of the can in a manner tocreate a pour lip thereon. Concomitantly the vent opening spear willhave engaged the can top surface diametrically opposite the pour lipopening to provide a smaller vent opening in the can top. The canperforator offers considerable utility to persons who are required toopen condensed milk cans and the like. The can perforator can also beused to open cans having an upstanding edge such as beverage cans; inthis case, however, the upstanding can ridge or rim is sufiicientlystrong to partially withstand deformation and, consequently, a pouringlip of reduced size is formed on the rim of the can. The upper member ofthe can perforator is shaped to provide a bottle cap removal means,while the lower member is swedged to provide a pry lever useful inopening the conventional jam and paint type of container.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention will become moreapparent to one who has read the following detailed description and hasstudied the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a can perforator operably disposed ontop ,of a can;

FIGURE 2 is a side view of the can perforator disposed in a closedposition on top of a can and showing the perforated metal foldedrearwardly against the side wall of the can;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of a container showing the perforated holestherein as well as the formed pour spout;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the can perforator in a partiallyclosed position in order to show the relationship of the vent and thepour opening spears in the upper member with corresponding openings inthe lower member;

FIGURE 5 is a bottom view of the upper member showing the details of thevarious projecting parts thereof;

FIGURE 6 is a bottom view of the lower member showing the can engagingrim means and the can pry edge thereon;

FIGURE 7 is an elevation of a portion of the device with the bottle capremover positioned to effect removal of a conventional cap from abottle; and

FIGURE 8 is also an elevational view of the bottle cap remover disposedon the cover of a jar whereon the cover was pressure mounted.

Can perforators are in a class by themselves among the miscellany ofhousehold devices presently available in the modern kitchen. While manydifferent perforators have been developed, most are virtually uselesssince the average housewife is unable to use them with ease andassurance of success. As a consequence, many housewives resort to theage old technique of applying endwise pressure on an ice pick or knifeto force the point thereof through the cover of a container. Resortingto the use of such means has often resulted in physical injuries ormental anguish to the user.

In order to overcome the hazards and uncertainties of using the existingdevices allegedly designed for perforating food and liquid containers, anew concept of a combined can perforator, cover and bottle cap opener ishereinafter described.

Referring to the drawings, and more specifically to FIGURE 1 thereof,the can perforator device 10 is shown operatively positioned on the fiattop face 11 of a sealed can or container 12. The tool device 10 iscomprised of two main members, a lower member 13 and an upper member 14.Initially, the lower member '13 is manually disposed on the top of thecontainer or receptacle 12. A crosswise movement of the device 10 willserve to bring a downwardly projecting and inwardly curved flange hook15 into engagement with the underside of a peripheral edge or bead '16of the can 12; at this point further movement of the member 13 isimpossible.

As viewed in FIGURE 1, the left end of the member 13 is formed toprovide a hinge section 17 designed to fit between a pair of binge lobes18 integrally formed on the upper member 14. A hinge pin 19 extendingthrough the hinge section 17 and lobes 18 serves to join the members 13and 14 together into an operable unit. The clearance between the hingecomponents is sufiicient to permit free movement therebetween with aminimum of manual effort.

The upper member 14 is shaped similar to the lower member 13 exceptingthat the member 14 is provided with depending longitudinal side edges 20and 21. These integrally formed edges serve to materially stiffen themem- 24 of the member 14, as best viewed in FIGURES 2 and 5. The spear23 is crowned to impart stability thereto and to serve to enlarge theresulting hole in the can 12. A punched opening 25 in the lower member13 permits a ready passage for the spear 23 when the can perforatordevice is manipulated to effect perforation of a container. A punchedopening 26 in the member 13 provides corresponding passage for the pouropening spear 22, as shown in FIGURES l, 4 and 6.

The spear 22 is accurately shaped to pierce the top face 11 of a can 12and fold the resulting fragment of metal constituting a triangulartongue 27 backwardly against the side wall of the can and efiect adistortion of the sidewall to create a pour trough 28. FIGURE 3 is a topview of a can or container 12 after the openings have been cut thereinwith the numeral 29 indicating the pour opening through which thecontents of the can may be poured and the numeral 30 indicating the ventopening. The latter is just large enough to adequately vent thecontainer while the former is sufficiently large to permit the How of asizable stream of liquid from the container. As best shown in FIGURES 1,2 and 5, rib 31 and 31a pressed into a portion of the center section ofthe member 14 and the spear 22, respectively, functions to make thespear sufficiently strong to withstand the pressures exerted during theperforating operation. After the fragment of metal 27 has been cut, thebackside of the spear rib 31a sustains pressure thereon until thetriangular tab 27 has been completely folded against the sidewall of thecontainer. Likewise the pour spear 22 is curved as shown in FIGURE 2 tosustain pressure on the triangular tongue 27 during its downward andsidewise travel until it has been completely deformed to meet the curvedsidewall of thecontainer 12. The continued force imparted by the rib 31athen serves to deform a portion of the sidewall of the containeroutwardly until a pronounced pour trough 28 is created. As shown inFIGURE 6, a notch 32 is provided in the flange 15 wherein the rib 31acan fit and crowd the sidewall metal in forming the pour trough 28.

From the foregoing description of the structural details of the canperforator device 10, it should be evident that a very useful householdtool has been invented. When the lower member 13 is in place on the topof a can 12, the user of the device need only apply a nominal downwardpressure on the extending end of the member 14 to bring the spear 22into engagement with the top of the can. Continued pressure will eifectpenetration of the metal, folding, trough formation, and finally ventopening piercing. Any person can manipulate the device to effect auniform perforation of the can top at two diametrically opposed pointswith a minimum of eiiort and time. With this device literally dozens ofcans could be perforated in a matter of minutes. Release of the deviceis accomplished by merely reversing the procedure, namely, raising theupper member 14 until the spears 22 and 23 clear the can top and,thereafter, moving the perforator assembly longitudinally until theflange hook 15 is parted from the edge or bead 16 of the container.

In order to provide the greatest utility, the device 10 includese twoadditional features which insure multiple uses therefor. The outer endof the member 14 includes an integrally formed bottle cap remover 33While the outer end of the member 13 includes an integrally shaped pryedge 34 which can be used to remove covers of the type found on paintand syrup containers. The pry edge 34 is sufficiently wide to permitgood retention with the container cover regardless of the diametricalsize thereof. When used for this purpose, the lower member 13 is graspedindependently of the member 14 so that the member can be readilymanipulated into position against the container cover. The member isstiffened by the use of stamped ribs 35 and 36 which converge at a pointdirectly behind the pryedge 34. Thus, a considerable lateral pressurecan be applied manually to the member 13 for this purpose without fearof bending or twisting the metal adjacent the edge 34. The same edge canbe used as screw driver and for other related purposes.

Use of the bottle cap remover 33 for removing a wellknown crimped bottlecap 37 from a glass beverage bottle 38 is depicted in FIGURE 7. Theremoval of the cap 37 is eifected by clasping the folded device 10firmly in a manner to bring an extending hook 39 of the cap remover 33into engagement with the underside of the cap and with the members 13and 14 extending across the top of the cap. A slight downward pressureon the extending end of the member 14 will lift the cap from the bottle.The width of the cap remover hook 39 is sufficient to support theunderside of the cap 37 over a considerable distance whereby the usualbending and distortion of the cap is eliminated; thus the cap can bereadily reused.

Likewise, the use of the bottle cap remover 33 for the purpose ofremoving the pressure sea-led type of jar cover from a jar 41 is shownin FIGURE 8. Such jars are currently used for preserving foods,including fruits, vegetables, jellies and the like. During processingthis type of jar is closed through the application of pressure on thecap to force the seal thereof into full engagement with the top lip ofthe jar. Thus, for purposes of cover removal, the remover 33 is likewisehooked under the cover 4i? with the member 14 extending crosswise of thetop face of the cover. Manual pressure upwardly on the end of the member14- in a semi-circular path will bring the shoulder of the extendinghook 39 against a shoulder 42 adjacent the top of the jar. This movementserves to raise the hook 39 upwardly against the cover and force thesame away from the jar top and permit air to enter the jar. It should benoted that the width of the hook 39 precludes all damage to the coverduring removal.

Therefore, the cover can be reused repeatedly to reseal the jar withoutfear that leakage may occur with the usual attendant contamination.

Thus, it should be apparent that the device 10 not only provides animproved means for simultaneously punching two apertures in the top ofcans or containers, namely a formed pour opening and a vent opening, butalso provides a bottle cap opening means and a container cover prymeans. All are included in a single unitary device which is compact andof sufficient strength to withstand the rugged use generally imparted toa household tool of this type.

Anyone who has ever labored in the culinary arts is well aware of theproblem of opening containers whether it be by penetration or coverremoval and of the prime need for a universal tool of the type describedherein to open the various types of containers presently utilized forthe containment of foods, paints, and other items of a similar nature.

Although but one embodiment of the invention has been shown anddescribed, it should be apparent to one skilled in the art to which thisinvention relates that various modifications of the invention arepossible without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention asdefined in the subjoined claim.

The principles of the invention having now been fully explained inconnection with the foregoing description of the embodying structure andas shown in the drawings, we hereby claim as our invention:

A can perforator device operative to effectively perforate and form apour spout in a container and comprising a lower member disposed toengage the end face of a container, a projecting hook depending fromsaid lower member and having a curved lip'edge serving to engage theperipheral sidewall of a container, a forming notch centraiiy disposedin said curving lip edge, an upper member hingedly secured to said lowermember substantially above said hook, a pour spear integrally formed anddepending from said upper member, an opening in said lower member topermit free passage of said spear therethrough, and a crowned rib onsaid pour spear operativeiy disposed to be moved adjacent to and facingthe forming notch in said hook, the spear being operative to engage andcut a triangular tongue from the top of a container and thereafter formthe tongue and adjacent 5 sidewall between said spear rib and saidforming notch in said hook whereby a uniformly shaped pour spout iscreated.

References Cited in the file at this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS VenneFeb. 15, 1949 Bauer July 5, 1955 Atwater et a1 Aug. 16, 1955 WiemeriOct. 25, 1955 Hon Nov. 26, 1957

